Compared to 2014, there have been increases in the numbers of 8-11s and 12-15s who visit news websites or apps and who answer that all the information on these sites is true (23% vs. 12% for 8-11s and 14% vs. 8% for 12-15s). There has also been an increase in the number of 8-11s who say this for sites used for used for school work or homework (28% vs. 20%) and among 12-15s, who say this for social media sites or apps (9% vs. 4%).

With YouTube having grown in popularity, more young people are turning to the site for true and accurate information, up from 3% in 2014 to 8% in 2015.

But just half of 12 to 15-year-olds who watch YouTube are aware that advertising is the main source of funding on the site and less than one in six 8-11s and a third of 12-15s in 2015 are able to correctly identify advertising displayed in online search results. Also less than half of 12-15s are aware of paid endorsements by vloggers or personalised advertising

Parents are concerned about advertising and about collection and use of children’s personal information. As the report shows:

In 2015 at least three in ten parents of 5-15s whose child goes online say they are concerned about companies collecting information about what their child is doing online (34%) or about their child giving out personal details online to inappropriate people (32%). A quarter of parents of 5-15s whose child plays games are concerned about the amount of advertising in games (24%) with one in five (21%) concerned about their child feeling pressured to make in-game purchases.

The report reveals that parents feel they know enough to help their child manage online risks and that almost all children, 8-11 (96% vs. 90%) or 12-15 (97% vs. 94%), are more likely than in 2014 to recall receiving advice about online risks, particularly from their parents.

The large majority said they would tell their parents, another family member or a teacher if they saw something online they found worrying, nasty or offensive, but 6 per cent said they would not tell anyone.